1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to harnesses used for carrying skis on a person's back.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many people enjoy skiing, and family vacations are often planned around skiing destinations. Parents often bring their children along, and the entire family will spend the day at a ski resort. The family will often park the car in a parking area, pick up their skis, poles, and other equipment, and begin the hike up to the ticket booth, the lodge, and the lifts. The hike from the car to the lifts can be fairly lengthy, and the task of carrying skis can be cumbersome, especially for small children.
People have to remove their skis and carry them once they reach the ski mountain as well. For example, a skier may remove their skis and carry them when taking a break at a ski lodge, or when boarding a gondola or tram. A skier may remove and carry their skis to access a good view, or after realizing they have started down the wrong trail. People also have to carry skies at locations other than the ski resort, such as at a hotel, boarding a transport bus, or even simply moving the skis around their house.
Skis are designed for skiing, and not for carrying. Skis tend to be long, fairly heavy, and the attached bindings can be awkward. Skis often split or come apart into two separate items to carry, which makes them more awkward and difficult to manage. These issues can be particularly difficult for children who are not accustomed to carrying and managing loads. Also, the relative weight and size of the skis can be more significant for a child than for a full grown adult.
After carrying skis to a desired location, such as near a lift, the user often wants to quickly put the skis down and start skiing, or quickly put the skis in a rack and go to some other activity. The user also wants to be able to quickly pick up the skis and load them for carrying, so a ski harness or carrying pack should be nearly as easy to load and unload as a person' arms. The user can always just pick up the skis and carry them, but a harness that is quick and simple to load and unload, and that makes it easier to carry the skis, can be a benefit to a skier. Such a harness can be especially beneficial to children, because it simplifies the process of carrying the skis to where they are needed, and happy children tends to make for happy parents. Many packs and other devices currently used to carry skis are designed to securely hold the skis, but the insertion and removal of the skis from the pack is notably slower than simply picking up or putting down a pair of skis carried in the user's arms.